Rachid Benmessaoud, Country Director World Bank for Nigeria, has
assured the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of
adequate support under the World Bank’s ‘Economic Governance Project’
to further strengthen the anti-corruption war in Nigeria.
Benmessaoud, who is also the Coordinating Director for the West
African Regional Integration Program, made this assertion on Friday,
May 12, 2017 while on a spot assessment visit to the ongoing
construction work at the permanent site of the EFCC, Airport road,
Abuja.
His visit was a follow-up to that of a delegation of the World Bank
which had during a visit on Thursday, May 4, 2017 pledged support for
the anti-graft agency in the areas of facilities and capacity
building.
The visitor, who was conducted round the facilities at the site by the
project coordinator, Dixon Otitoju, described the facilities as
“modern” and expressed happiness at the ongoing project and level of
work at the new site.
According to him, the World Bank was in discussion with the Federal
Government towards ensuring that maximum support is made available for
the agency to carry out its operations.
“We are in discussion with the Government of Nigeria for possible
support to the EFCC. We are at the initial discussion phase, where we
are defining the modality of support”, Benmessaoud said.
He described the EFCC as a very important institution of
accountability adding that it was imperative to partner with the
anti-graft agency to enable it achieve its mandates.
His words: “It is very clear that the EFCC has an important mandate
which is to combat corruption and bringing transparency in the way
that services are delivered. This is a very important institution of
accountability, and we will like to partner with them, to help them
achieve their objectives.”
Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo, Secretary to the Commission, led the World
Bank representative to the site.